JAKARTA - US military officials said they were helping Israel's defense against an Iranian attack this week by attempting to intercept several ballistic missiles launched by Tehran.
Initial assessments are still ongoing, but officials speaking on condition of anonymity told Al Arabiya English, it is believed that US forces managed to intercept several ballistic missiles during the attack.
Both US land- and sea-based military assets were involved in the operation, officials said, underlining Washington's continued commitment to help protect Israel from regional threats, Al Arabiya reported (9/6).
Hundreds of US military personnel are currently stationed in Israel. Some of them are part of a multinational mechanism formed to monitor the Gaza ceasefire after the Hamas attack on October 7 in Israel, while others support air and missile defense operations.
Military officials and experts are still assessing the effectiveness of the US contribution to this latest operation.
The Israeli military said Iran launched about 30 ballistic missiles during the attack, while the Iranian-backed Houthi movement in Yemen fired two additional missiles towards Israel.
The latest operation marks another example of direct involvement of the US military in helping defend Israel from Iranian missile and drone attacks over the past two years.
In April 2024, US forces played a major role in helping intercept more than 300 missiles and drones launched by Iran at Israel in Tehran's first direct attack on Israeli territory.
American fighter jets, naval vessels, and air defense systems were deployed alongside Israeli forces and allies to shoot down most of the projectiles before they reached their targets.
Later that same year, US military assets again helped Israel defend itself from an Iranian missile attack, with American destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean and other regional assets helping track and intercept the incoming threat.
The United States maintains a substantial military presence throughout the Middle East, including advanced air defense systems, warplanes, naval vessels, and more than 50,000 troops stationed across the region.
US officials have repeatedly said the troops are deployed to protect American personnel and interests and to support regional partners facing missile and drone threats.
The Pentagon has not released a complete breakdown of the assets involved in this week's operation, and officials cautioned that assessments could change as additional information becomes available.
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